Hill District Shop 'n Save celebrates grand opening

Ribbon cut at new grocery store on Centre Avenue

Grand opening signs and ribbons are hanging at a new supermarket in the Hill District -- the neighborhood's first grocery store in nearly 30 years.

Shop 'n Save says the full-service store, built from the ground up, will employ more than 100 people and be open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. It officially opened for business Thursday morning.(Photos: See inside the new Hill District Shop 'n Save)

The addition of Shop 'n Save to the neighborhood is a welcome change for a lot of residents. It's in the heart of Centre Avenue, giving many people -- especially those who are older or don't drive -- a store within walking distance of their homes.

"I love it. It's nice. It's about time, and I can appreciate it. It's a long time coming," Brenda Faulk said. "It's good for the neighborhood. I live a couple streets over, and I can walk right on over, so it makes a big difference."

"I'm glad we finally got a store. I was going to Lawrenceville to shop," Laraine Coleman said. "I came down here specifically because I wanted to see just what everything looked like."

Construction at the corner of Heldman Street began just five months ago. The store cost more than $11 million to build, and was funded through a mix of public and private money."The Pittsburgh Penguins committed $1 million almost seven years ago and have continued to live up to that commitment, and we're thankful for that," Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said. "And the URA committed $1 million, as well as some of the land here."

Owner Jeff Ross also invested $1 million to open the new store and said he's expecting a big turnout. He operates other Shop 'n Saves in McKeesport, Connellsville and Mt. Pleasant.

"The community really wants, and hopefully they will recognize the store and get the word out that we're open and to come on in and fill up a buggy," Ross said.

While critics say there are not enough people living in the area to support the price tag, due to a population decline over the years, supporters say the store will help revitalize the local economy.Not only will residents have access to a grocery store without having to travel, but it goes hand in hand with more than 1,500 new apartments and townhouses being built in the community.

"It's awesome, because it's very rare that you can get something so close," Carldine Trent said. "All the older people live around here, and they want to be able to get to the store too without having to lug big carts on the bus and all of that. That's horrible. So, to have it right here in my backyard is awesome."

See inside: Photos of new Hill District Shop 'n Save

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Shop 'n Save grand opening

The long-awaited opening of the new supermarket on Centre Avenue was held Thursday morning.